Partnership for Innovation

Group Health knows that front line clinical teams are often in the best positions to identify innovations that improve care, reduce costs, and increase patient satisfaction. The Partnership for Innovation is making a significant impact here because Group Health medical teams are strongly committed to doing what's right, for their patients and for medicine.

The Partnership for Innovation can help bring the passion and vision of our staff to life. When one of our physicians, nurses, pharmacists, or other staff has an idea, a cross-functional team of Group Health leaders evaluates the proposal. Once it passes scrutiny, donors to the Group Health Foundation fund a pilot, usually at our medical centers. After this real-world test, researchers from Group Health Research Institute analyze the results and this information helps to determine if the innovation can be implemented system-wide.

A three-way collaboration makes the Partnership for Innovation possible: the rigorous expertise of our research institute, the vision of our clinical teams, and the generosity of our donors. Between 2008 and 2013, Foundation donors have invested more than $3.3 million into patient-centered research — 34 pilot projects conceived of and carried out here at Group Health.